Scottish Executive

Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2447 by Ross Finnie on 19 September 2003, what progress has been made on the publication of regulations relating to tenancy arrangements following the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003 and what facility the Parliament will have prior to the Martinmas date of 28 November 2003 to discuss such regulations.

Ross Finnie: The draft Agricultural Holdings (Consequential Amendments) (Scotland) Order was laid before Parliament on 2 October 2003. Following consideration in accordance with the standard procedure for draft instruments subject to affirmative resolution, Parliament approved the draft order on 20 November 2003.

  I have now also signed the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003 (Commencement No. 3, Transitional and Savings Provisions) Order 2003 (SSI 2003-548). As a result, most of the act (including Part 1, which introduces the new limited duration tenancies and short limited duration tenancies) will come into force on 27 November 2003.

Alcohol Misuse

Trish Godman (West Renfrewshire) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to raise the awareness of young people of the dangers of excessive alcohol consumption and alcohol misuse.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive is taking action to raise awareness on a number of fronts. Our Healthy Living campaign will be targeting young people between the ages of 16 and 25 with messages which highlight the dangers of drinking too much alcohol. The first phase of the radio and poster campaign, which uses the "You choose what you lose" strapline, is running in November and December. This will complement NHS Health Scotland's "Think About It" alcohol campaign which is targeted at younger teenagers and is running TV advertising from November to early January.

  Through health education in schools, young people have opportunities to discuss and consider the effects and possible consequences of alcohol consumption with a view to helping them to make healthy choices.

  A parents' guide to alcohol is also being developed by NHS Health Scotland in partnership with the Executive to support parents discuss alcohol with their children.

Alcohol Misuse

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many residential places are available for alcohol-dependent patients seeking treatment facilities for detoxification in each local authority area.

Mr Tom McCabe: There has been a move away from residential detoxification for people with an alcohol dependency to community-based treatment and rehabilitation in the last few years, and information on the number of residential places is not consistently collected by NHS boards, local authorities or alcohol action teams. The team at the National Alcohol Information Resource will be examining the feasibility of improving information collection in this area.

Care Commission

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that Care Commission reports are readily accessible to the public.

Mr Tom McCabe: Yes. Providers of regulated services are expected to make inspection reports available, and they can also be obtained from the Care Commission on request.

Central Heating Programme

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of pensioners have benefited from its free central heating installation programme.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  This information is not available.

  The central heating programme, in the private sector, is available to all eligible over 60s, therefore not all applicants to the programme are pensioners. In the public sector the central heating programme is available to all local authority and housing association stock that lack the measure. There are no age criteria imposed

Central Heating Programme

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure the maximum uptake of its free central heating installation programme by pensioners who own their own homes or rent in the private sector.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The start of Eaga's winter publicity campaign was announced by Deputy Minister for Communities Mary Mulligan, at Energy Action Scotland's Annual Conference held on 5 November at Airth Castle. Between 5 November and Christmas, 12,000 publicity leaflets will be distributed each week throughout Scotland.

Central Heating Programme

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has monitored Eaga Partnership Ltd's data management system to ascertain whether weaknesses discovered by the investigation earlier this year have been eliminated.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland monitors all aspects of Eaga's performance to ensure the effective delivery of the contract for the central heating and warm deal programmes.

Central Heating Programme

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since 1 May 2003 in respect of its commitment to ensure that, by 2006, no local authority housing association tenant or person aged 60 or over will have to live in a home lacking central heating or adequate insulation.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  In the public sector we are on course to ensure that all local authority tenants who are without central heating systems, and want a central heating system installed, will have the measures by April 2004. Similarly all Responsible Social Landlords' tenants will have the measures installed by the end of 2004. Because of the large number of properties, Glasgow will take a little longer and the programme there will not be complete until 2007.

  In the private sector, everyone who is eligible and wants to take up the programme will receive a central heating system by April 2006.

  The warm deal programme managed by Eaga will continue to deliver insulation measures across all sectors of the housing stock. Local authorities will continue to have their own insulation programme. However, no date has been given for the completion of the warm deal programme.

Community Wardens

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who will be responsible for the recruitment, salary and conditions of employment of community wardens.

Ms Margaret Curran: We expect most schemes with a crime prevention focus to be run by local authorities. A wider range of organisations may be involved in running schemes with a more explicit environmental and community development focus. The organisation running the scheme will be responsible for recruitment, salary and conditions of service.

Community Wardens

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposals for community wardens will diminish police powers.

Ms Margaret Curran: Community wardens are not police officers and will not have any police powers. The powers exercised by the police remain unchanged.

Conservation

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce inshore and marine areas to be identified as Special Protection Areas or Special Areas of Conservation to protect marine wildlife and ecosystems under the EU birds and habitats directives.

Allan Wilson: Scotland has already designated 48 Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the Birds Directive that have one or more species of seabird as a qualifying interest and 54 coastal or marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the Habitats Directive.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of employment has been in the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector in each quarter since 1997.

Ross Finnie: The following table shows employment levels by quarter between 1997 Quarter 1 and 2003 Quarter 2 within the "Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry, and Fishing", using data from the Labour Force Survey.

  


Year

Quarter

Total Employment in Agriculture, Hunting,
Forestry and Fishing



1997

1

59,300


 

2

58,215


 

3

50,719


 

4

51,118



1998

1

53,559


 

2

53,427


 

3

53,302


 

4

45,615



1999

1

46,022


 

2

47,071


 

3

46,501


 

4

50,715



2000

1

57,484


 

2

60,069


 

3

56,452


 

4

56,388



2001

1

58,130


 

2

53,403


 

3

48,171


 

4

43,408



2002

1

43,918


 

2

45,047


 

3

49,300


 

4

49,792



2003

1

45,180


 

2

41,416

Environment

Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the reduction in carbon dioxide emissions if degraded peatlands were restored.

Ross Finnie: An estimate of the nature requested has not been made by the Executive.

  There are many uncertainties associated with emissions from organic soils and the Executive is undertaking research to better understand the role of agricultural and other land uses on greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide, from Scotland's organic-rich soils. The Executive has commissioned research to consider development of a modelling framework to simulate carbon and nitrogen cycling in organic soils and to provide predictions of how they will respond to land use change and climate change. The findings of this study will contribute to understanding of greenhouse gas emissions from soils due to land use change.

Europe

Nora Radcliffe (Gordon) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what the outcome was of the Agicultural and Fisheries Council held in Brussels on 13 October 2003.

Ross Finnie: On fisheries, two items were on the agenda. There was a brief presentation by the Commission of proposals to manage fishing in the mediterranean and agreement of a proposal for a regulation on the management of fishing effort in western waters.

  The new western waters proposal was first discussed at the May Council, but its adoption has been delayed while the presidency sought a compromise acceptable to as many member states as possible.

  The new regulation (Com (2002) 739 final) replaces an earlier western waters regulation (EEC) No. 2847/93. That regulation was designed to prevent an increase in the overall fishing effort for the area following the 1985 Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal. It also established a restricted area known as the Irish box in which the access of the new member states was limited to a specified number of vessels.

  The new effort regime for western waters will take effect no later than 1 August 2004. It also makes provision for an effort-based regime, with member states' effort allocations to be based on fishing activity in the reference period 1998-2002; and it introduces a smaller biologically based sensitive area to replace the current Irish box.

  Most of the Scottish negotiating objectives were achieved:

  pelagic and deep water fisheries are excluded from the regime;

  access to western waters will not be based on having a track record in the area – all Scottish boats will have access to the zone;

  except for the biologically sensitive area, the bureaucratic burdens of small management areas and associated hailing in and out have been avoided;

  there is a facility for increasing our effort allocation, if we need more to catch our quota or our non-quota stocks, and

  there is a facility to revise our initial effort data–particularly relevant where logbook data may be incomplete (as with non-quota species such as scallops).

  The text therefore represented a very good outcome for Scotland with all our major areas of concern being addressed.

  On agriculture, there was a brief discussion of the Commission's outline ideas for reform of the cotton and olive oil regimes. Producer member states emphasised the importance of both crops to their farming sectors and the need to maintain a significant level of production-linked aid to ensure continued activity in the sectors. The United Kingdom joined other non-producers in arguing for changes in these regimes to follow closely the pattern of reforms agreed in June for others. In particular, a substantial level of decoupling should be the norm, with the option for more if member states wished to move in that direction.

General Practitioners

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3729 by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 November 2003, what is involved in the consultations for those 75 or over and whether there are plans to extend the starting age to 65 years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The arrangements for the annual consultation for those aged 75 or over are contained in the terms of service for general practitioners set out in the NHS (General Medical Services) (Scotland) Regulations 1995.

  The general practitioner is required to invite each patient who has attained the age of 75 to participate in a consultation for the purpose of assessing whether the patient requires personal medical services and to offer to make a house call. The invitation should be made in writing and if first made orally should be confirmed in writing. An entry should be made in the patient's medical records of the date of the invitation and whether or not it was accepted.

  During the consultation the general practitioner should consider any matter which may be affecting the patient's general health including sensory functions, mobility, mental condition, physical condition including continence, social environment and the use of medicines. Appropriate entries of the general practitioner's observations should be made in the patient's medical records.

  Following any consultation the general practitioner should offer to discuss with the patient the conclusions which have been drawn as to the patient's state of health unless to do so would, in the opinion of the general practitioner, be likely to cause serious harm to the physical or mental health of the patient.

  There are no plans to extend annual health checks to those who have attained 65 years of age.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive who will be consulted on the inclusion of annual check ups for over-75s in the new GP contract.

Malcolm Chisholm: Decisions concerning annual check-ups for over-75s will be taken forward on a UK basis as part of on-going discussions between the NHS Confederation and the UK General Practitioners Committee. There are no plans at this stage for a wider consultation to take place.

Health

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many cases of influenza have been reported this winter in each NHS board area; how many such cases are being treated in hospital; how many are of a new strain, and how many cases have resulted in deaths.

Malcolm Chisholm: Influenza-like illness is increasing in Scotland at present, and there is certainly more around than we have experienced in the last few years.  Estimates from the Scottish Influenza Spotter Scheme co-ordinated by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health now exceed the baseline threshold limit of 50 consultations per 100,000 population. At 11 November 2003 the estimate was 99 per 100,000 population across Scotland as a whole. The consultation rate for "normal activity" for seasonal influenza like illness is defined as between 50 and 600 consultations per 100,000 population. As such we are still within the lower part of this range currently.

  However, laboratory analysis is required to confirm a diagnosis of influenza. Laboratory data as at 17 November, by NHS board, are shown in the table below (These respiratory virus laboratory data broadly reflect the NHS board areas. They are summations of the laboratory detections from hospital and community samples. While the GP practices are immediately attributable to NHS boards, the hospital laboratories to which samples are submitted are not necessarily the place of residence of the individuals from whom the samples were obtained).

  


NHS Argyll and Clyde

80



NHS Ayrshire and Arran

27



NHS Borders  

18



NHS Dumfries and Galloway

41



NHS Fife

30



NHS Grampian

32



NHS Greater Glasgow

86



NHS Highland 

19



NHS Lanarkshire

20



NHS Lothian

26



NHS Tayside  

7



Total

386



  It is not possible to indicate how many such cases are being treated in hospital as hospital data for this winter are not yet available centrally.

  The UK national influenza laboratory is the only UK laboratory that tests for influenza strain type. Only a select number of the clinical isolates are routinely sent to this laboratory for strain typing (for example, from patients who have died or from outbreaks in defined settings). The only Scottish cases to date in which influenza A Fujian-411-2002-like virus has been identified have been in the three reported deaths in children.

Higher Education

Marilyn Livingstone (Kirkcaldy) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to provide Scottish universities with additional funding to avoid a possible "brain drain" due to the introduction of top up fees in English universities.

Lewis Macdonald: We have initiated a third phase of our review of higher education in order to consider the possible impacts on Scottish higher education of any new funding system introduced in England, and the funding of higher education will then be considered in the usual way in next year's spending review.

Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many coronary and coronary-related surgical procedures have been carried out at the Golden Jubilee Hospital.

Malcolm Chisholm: Figures provided by the Golden Jubilee National Hospital show that during the period 1 July 2002 to 31 October 2003, the hospital undertook 757 coronary artery bypass grafts-heart valve replacements, and 205 angioplasties.

Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how NHS Greater Glasgow will cope with any unexpected surge in demand for beds from November 2003, once planned hospital closures are implemented in the city.

Malcolm Chisholm: Under their Acute Services Review, NHS Greater Glasgow does not plan to reduce the number of medical beds. Instead, they plan to redeploy beds between three sites rather than the current five. Greater Glasgow NHS Board continues to work with its trusts and planning partners to ensure there is effective preparation for winter demand.

Hospitals

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans are in place to address any pressures on Glasgow hospitals that have led them to halt some new admissions in mid-November due to a pre-winter surge in demands for beds.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS Greater Glasgow and its planning partners are preparing local initiatives across their NHS system to enable them to cope with the pressures of winter. Greater Glasgow NHS Board is actively working with their clinical colleagues to explore the reasons for the current pressures, and have assured me that they will continue to review their winter arrangements to ensure they are robust.

Justice

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3240 by Colin Boyd QC on 4 November 2003, why Professor Colin Espie was not interviewed as a result of the complaint of criminal conduct made by Mr McKie, given that the complaint indicated Professor Espie's awareness of important new relevant information.

Colin Boyd QC: What required to be investigated was not Professor Espie's information but what was done with that information. Accordingly, it was not considered necessary to interview Professor Espie.

Justice

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many written complaints regarding criminal conduct were received by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service from 1 January 2002 to 1 September 2003 and in how many cases the complainants were not contacted by either the police or the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service prior to the allegation being rejected.

Colin Boyd QC: This information requested is not available. The way in which an allegation is investigated will depend on the nature of the allegation and the whole circumstances of the case including whether there have already been investigations into allegations made by the complainant.

Lifelong Learning

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to companies that sponsor educational scholarships.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive welcomes initiatives whereby the support of business helps to advance its education and lifelong objectives. But such initiatives are appropriately a matter for those businesses and for the educational institutions with which they engage.

Multiple Sclerosis

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a national strategy for the delivery of services to multiple sclerosis (MS) patients.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Executive's preferred approach to the management of chronic conditions is the development of managed clinical or care networks. We are funding the development of a Managed Care Network in Forth Valley for people with MS, and hope to see similar networks developed across Scotland. The Executive also supports the risk sharing scheme, which makes disease-modifying drugs such as beta interferon available to MS patients assessed as suitable for treatment.

NHS Equipment

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3760 by Mr Tom McCabe on 12 November 2003, how the three options proposed in Appliance Contractors – Consultation Document would affect the supply of ostomy and incontinence appliances and trusses to NHS patients.

Mr Tom McCabe: The options presented in the consultation document are intended to maintain and improve the provision of a quality service that meets all patients' needs, no matter which type of appliance they may require.

National Cultural Strategy

Richard Baker (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made under the National Cultural Strategy in 2003 to date.

Mr Frank McAveety: I am delighted to state that, tomorrow morning, at the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh, I shall launch the 3rd annual report of the National Cultural Strategy. This gives a full account of much progress and many important announcements and initiatives for Scotland's culture since last November's report. Key amongst these are: the announcement that Scotland is to have a National Theatre; the investment of £17.5 million to ensure that by 2006, every primary school pupil will be able to take a year's free music tuition; a new £30 million strategy will provide a network of high quality sports facilities across the country; publication of draft legislation to provide secure status for the Gaelic language; and the establishment of Gaelic development agency, Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

  I will also be launching the pilot of the Scotland's Culture portal. The National Cultural Strategy committed the Scottish Executive to establishing a national "portal" website with information and links relating to Scotland's culture. The pilot portal seeks to demonstrate potential uses, linking quality website information from key agencies and extending access to the public, educators, pupils and potential visitors. Initially focusing on the themes of Scottish music and literature, the pilot offers great potential for future development.

National Health Service

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when a decision is likely to be taken on the proposed relocation of NHS Health Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: A decision is likely to be taken in January 2004.

Planning

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to announce the final decision on the planning application for the site of the former Ravenscraig Steelworks in Motherwell.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: An Alteration to the Glasgow and the Clyde Valley Structure Plan, which sets the strategic planning policy context for retail development within a new town centre at Ravenscraig, was approved by the Scottish ministers on 24 November.

  The Scottish ministers advised North Lanarkshire Council, on 26 November, that they were free to deal with the planning application for redevelopment of the former Ravenscraig Steelworks as they saw fit. It is now for North Lanarkshire Council to decide whether to grant planning permission.

Planning

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received about restrictions on planning permissions for developments in the vicinity of chemical works.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Executive has received a number of representations on this issue. Most recently these include letters from members of the public about specific planning applications. We are in discussion with Falkirk Council on the procedural policy of restricting developments within the vicinity of chemical works and the Minister for Communities met with Cathie Peattie MSP, the leader of Falkirk Council and others to discuss this issue in August 2003.

Planning

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what timetable has been set for the removal of Crown immunity from the planning system.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: That will depend on the progress of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill, which contains the relevant legislative provisions and is currently before the Westminster Parliament. If Royal Assent is forthcoming next year, then we will have to consult on and make subordinate legislation in order to implement the policy.

Renewable Energy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policies and proposals are for offshore wind farms.

Lewis Macdonald: We believe that offshore wind, which is eligible for support under the Renewables Obligation Scotland, can make a contribution towards Scotland's future energy needs.

  Earlier this year Scottish ministers gave consent to a 200 megawatt offshore development in the Solway Firth, which is expected to generate enough electricity to supply 180,000 homes.

  In partnership with the European Union and the Department of Trade and Industry, the Executive is also contributing to the development, by Talisman Energy (UK), of a demonstration project in the Moray Firth for the world's first deep water offshore wind farm. If successful, the potential markets for this technology world-wide could be very significant indeed.

Renewable Energy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether wind farms (a) enhance areas of outstanding natural beauty and (b) are beneficial to the tourism industry in the Highlands and Islands.

Mr Frank McAveety: Although the aesthetic value of wind farms is subjective, visual impact is a material consideration when new developments are being considered. Research into wind farms by VisitScotland indicates that their impact on tourism is generally felt to be minimal; the majority of those who took part in the research were of the view that wind farms will have few negative impacts on tourism. There is also some evidence that certain wind farms may attract additional visitors who are interested in the development of a "green" Scotland, as has been the experience in other European countries.

Renewable Energy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the erection of 46.5 metre high pylons through the Corrieyairick Pass and Cairngorm National Park in order to carry the additional energy generated from wind farms in the Highlands and Islands.

Lewis Macdonald: I am aware from our discussions with Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) that the company is in the process of preparing an environmental statement in respect of a transmission line from Beauly to Denny and expects to make an application for consent in the summer of next year. We have not yet had discussion with SSE about the detail of these proposals, but since any application for consent would fall to Scottish ministers to determine, I cannot comment further on this matter.

Renewable Energy

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when decisions will be made regarding planning consent for wind farms at Farr, Tomatin, Gordenbush, Brora and Strathbrora (East).

Lewis Macdonald: The consultation period for Farr wind farm has ended and we are now considering the application. A decision will be made soon.

  The initial consultation for the Gordonbush proposal ended on 20 October. We have, however, requested some additional environmental information and once this is received, the developer has a statutory obligation to advertise and invite public representation on the additional information.

  A formal application has not been received for Strathbrora wind farm, but on 2 May 2003 Scottish ministers issued a scoping opinion outlining what issues they considered should be covered in the environmental statement which must accompany any application.

Roads

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the creation of non-commercial rest areas on the A9 between Perth and Inverness.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive is aware of the proposals for further rest areas on the A9 between Perth and Inverness to improve road safety. Consideration will be given to such provision (commercial and non-commercial) once the review of National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG9) on the provision of roadside facilities on motorways and other trunk roads in Scotland has been completed.

Roads

Rosie Kane (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the funding for the M74 northern extension is being obtained from the private sector and under what criteria that money will be provided.

Nicol Stephen: Funding of the M74 will predominantly come from the Scottish Executive and its local council partners. Contributions from other public and private sector sources, will be sought where appropriate, but have yet to be agreed.

Schools

Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers last visited schools in Fife.

Peter Peacock: Euan Robson visited Madras College in St Andrew's and Anstruther primary school on Tuesday 11 November where he saw, respectively, the challenges in successfully operating a split site high school and the provision of a new state of the art primary school delivered by the Executive's public private partnership initiative.

Schools

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-315 by Peter Peacock on 2 June 2003, under what circumstances Scottish ministers would refuse consent for a council to close a school (a) which was more than 80% full, (b) where the alternative school was five or more miles distant in the case of a primary school from the school proposed for closure and (c) where the school concerned was denominational.

Peter Peacock: Proposals by education authorities to close schools can raise a range of different issues according to the circumstances of the school and the local area. Consequently, when proposals require ministerial consent, we look at each proposal on its individual merits before reaching a decision.

Sexual Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to test for, and treat, chlamydia.

Malcolm Chisholm: NHS boards test for and treat chlamydial infection in a range of appropriate clinical settings.

  In addition, the national health demonstration project, Healthy Respect, includes a chlamydia testing programme. This involves an innovative postal testing kit available free at music stores, pharmacies and other retail outlets to promote and facilitate testing for infection. The project was launched in 2001, and to date 10,000 testing kits have been distributed. The project is being externally evaluated and findings will be available in October 2004.

Sexual Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to make young people more aware of chlamydia and the potential infertility problems it can cause.

Malcolm Chisholm: The public consultation on proposals for a National Sexual Health and Relationships Strategy, launched on 12 November, reflects both the increasing incidence of chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections, and the impact these can have on health and well-being.

  Established measures to raise awareness of chlamydia and its potential consequences include a major campaign initiated by NHS Health Scotland on 4 June 2003 to raise awareness of the risks of sexually transmitted infections including chlamydia, the chlamydia testing element of the healthy respect demonstration project, and a range of targeted local initiatives, designed and delivered by NHS boards to raise awareness of sexually transmitted disease and prevent the spread of infection.

Sport

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to enhance sports education for young people.

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has established a PE Review Group to review the wider perspective of PE in the school curriculum and to consider how schools can be supported to provide a quality PE educational experience. Its report is due early in the new year.

  We are also investing £24 million over three years (2003-04 to 2005-06) to develop and enhance the active primary schools programme and school sports development officers as part of the wider active schools programme. This investment will create more opportunities for our young people to become more active more often in a variety of settings both within and outwith the school curriculum.

Teachers

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that initial and on-going teacher training equips teachers to assist in the early identification of a wide range of special needs, including dyslexia.

Peter Peacock: Measures are already in place. The Executive publication, The Standard for Initial Teacher Education in Scotland  (the Standard) ,  details the broad range of skills and attributes that programmes of initial teacher education are designed to enable student teachers to acquire. These include the expectation that, by the end of the programme, students will demonstrate the ability to identify and respond appropriately to pupils with difficulties in, or barriers to, learning and recognise when to seek further advice in relation to their special educational needs, and this includes dyslexia. These abilities are then further developed, as required, during the induction period and thereafter through continuing professional development (CPD). The national register of providers of CPD, which can be viewed at http://www.gtcs.org.uk/gtcs/nat_reg_prog_search.aspx, indicates that a range of providers offer relevant programmes.

  We are currently undertaking the second stage of our review of initial teacher education. This will include consideration of whether the Standard, which was published in 2000, is still appropriate.

  In 2003-04, the Executive is providing local authorities with £8.4 million for the development and training of staff working with children who require additional support, including those with dyslexia.

Telecommunications

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what evidence it has on any long-term health risk to people living near cell phone base stations.

Malcolm Chisholm: Two of the principal conclusions of the report of the independent expert group on mobile phones, issued in May 2000, were that the balance of evidence to date suggests that (i) exposure to radiation from mobile phone technologies at levels below current guidelines do not cause adverse health effects to the general population, and (ii) there is no general risk to the health of people living near to base stations on the basis that the exposures are expected to be a small fraction of the guidelines. No compelling scientific evidence has since emerged to challenge the continuing validity of these conclusions.

Telecommunications

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made on extending safety guidelines for mobile phones to the terrestrial trunked radio network.

Malcolm Chisholm: The provisions for limiting the exposure of members of the public to radiofrequency emissions from the equipment that forms the Global System for Mobile Telecommunications (GSM) apply equally to emissions from the TETRA system. This includes a requirement from the Home Office that all TETRA handsets comply with the same conditions for Specific Absorption Rate as apply to GSM handsets. There is therefore no need for any change to the current position.

Telecommunications

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received in respect of extending safety guidelines for mobile phones to terrestrial trunked radio network.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has received a number of enquiries about the possible adverse health effects of TETRA systems. All the provisions for control of public exposures to radiofrequency radiation from the Global System for Mobile Telecommunications apply equally to TETRA systems. These include the requirement for operators to ensure that exposures are kept within the guideline levels defined by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection

Travellers

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to have Gypsy/Travellers recognised as an ethnic group in Scots law.

Ms Margaret Curran: Race relations legislation is a reserved matter. Any change would have to be made by Westminster legislation.

  The Scottish Executive acknowledges the cultural identity of Gypsies/Travellers in Scotland and acknowledges them as a distinct group. This is reflected in a number of the Scottish Executive's published documents including its Race Equality Scheme.

Water Charges

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average monthly cost to consumers is of (a) water and (b) sewerage services in each local authority area, broken down also for those who are (i) metered and (ii) unmetered.

Ross Finnie: We do not hold this information centrally. This is a matter for Scottish Water.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what the up-to-date estimate is of the cost of the new Parliament building.

Mr George Reid: : The Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group has confirmed that the most up-to-date cost of the new Parliament building is £389.4 million, plus a programme contingency of £11.8 million. These figures were confirmed in the most recent report to the Finance Committee, issued on 24 November 2003.